To
furnish a Feast compleatly, there must be Tarts, Custards, Flawnes,
Flap-jackets,
and by al meanes a Foole or two: and at a Feast it so hapned, that a
Counsellour
at Law (or of Law) being at the table, amongst other dishes that stood
before him, hee fell to feeding most heartily upon a Foole, and
lovingly
likeing it so well, demaunded of the Mistresse of the House, what good
name that most excellent dish of meate had: shee answered him, that the
name of it was a Foole, The Lawyer replied, hat hee had often tasted
the
goodnesse of a Terme Foole but for a Table Foole hee never smatch'd one
that pleas'd his pailate better, and therefore hee desired her to let
him
have a note of the ingredients that appertained to the making of such a
composition, that his Wife might put it in her booke of Cookery. To
which
request of his, the Gentle-woman condescended: so after Supper was
ended,
the Counsellors man drew his pen and inke, and as the Gentle-woman
directed
him, hee wrot. Item, so much clouted Creame, so much Sugar, so much
Rose-water,
so many Egges, such and such Spices, with other Simples that are
pertinent
to Foole-making, which I am not perfit in: But after hee had written
all,
he knew that his Mistresse would insert it into her Booke, and
therefore
he thought it fit to give it a title or directions above it, to
distinguish
it from other receites, wherefore thus he intituled it: A receite to
shew
my Mistresse, how to make my Master a Foole.

A foole was a custard &
egg creation similar to A
Posset; see a 17th century recipe for it HERE,
and a modern version HERE.

A Tale of a Foole

A
Young Gentleman (being a rich Heire) came a woing to a proper
Gentle-woman,
whose sharpe wit quickly found him to be a Foole, by his playing the
Coxcombe,
and by his outward gestures; and so shee gave him frumps for his folly,
and flouts for his foppery, parting as wisely as they met: which her
mother
perceiving, beganne to chide her, saying that shee was a squeamish
proud
baggage to give no more contentfull respect to a Gentleman of his worth
and rich hopes, and that she had best to be more tractable to him
hereafter,
for, (quoth she) your father and I, and his parents are minded and
agreed
that hee shalbe your Husband. Now, God blesse me, said the maide, for I
cannot love him: why canst thou not love him? (quoth the mother,) I
know
he is very rich: rich, said the maide? I know hee is rich, (But,--.)
But
quoth the mother, what But: you idle slut, you would say he is but a
Foole:
you say true mother, said she, it is for that onely that I cannot
affect
him: the mother reply'd, that for his being a Foole, it was her wisest
part to take him; for it was better for her to be married to one that
is
a Foole already made to her Hand; then after marriage to take the
paines
to make him one: saying further, who loves their wives better than
Fooles?
who lets them Eate, Drinke, weare, say, or doe what they please, but
Fooles?
I tell thee that I was foure yeares married to thy Father, and hee
becurb'd
me, and restrain'd me of my will so much, that hee almost broake my
Heart,
till at the last (with a great deale of cost and counsell from my good
neighbours and Gossips) and aboundance of care and paines taking, I
made
him a Foole, (and so he happily continues:) since which time, I have
liv'd
a Ladies life, full of content and pleasure: and therefore Huswife, no
more a doe, but take my counsell, and marry a Foole, if you meane to
live
a merry and pleasant life.

"Take my counsell, and marry a Foole, if
you meane
to live a merry and pleasant life"